Holding SuperCupNI Premier section side O’Higgens from Chile started their defence of the trophy with an entertaining draw with Japanese side Komazawa at Broughshane on Monday afternoon.
O’Higgens took the lead inside forty seconds after Arturo Pozo had played the ball into the feet of Yerko Gonzalez and he hit a strike as sweet as a nut into the net via the crossbar leaving Komazawa University goalkeeper Masataka Miyazaki with no chance.
Five minutes had passed before the Chilean side created another good opening as Jose Basualtio got on the end of a Wilson Martinez corner to head just wide of the target.
Miyazaki then came to his sides rescue as O’Higgens ripped through the Komazawa defence with Matias Torres on ten minutes before his shot was tipped onto the post.
Komazawa created their first chance on fifteen minutes as Atsuya Ikema skipped the challenges before his shot was well saved by Mauro Pizarro low to his left.
O’Higgins from Chile played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Japanese side Komazawa University in Broughshane on Monday afternoon. It was the side from Rancagua in Chile who took the lead inside forty seconds as Yerko Gonzalez scored a thirty-yard screamer the ball beating Masataka Miyazaki via the underside of the crossbar.
O’Higgins were playing some sublime possession based football and it was they who could have had a second on twenty-four minutes as Julio Zuniga let fly but his effort was well blocked by Gaku Saito.
Miyazaki then made another fine save on twenty-eight minutes as he kept out a rasping Wilson Martinez shot from range tipping the ball away from danger.
It was all one-way traffic as the Chilean side were creating a host chances as the impressive Gonzalez crossed low to the back post for Hugo Figueroa before he was denied a shot on goal by a last-ditch tackle by Sota Kobayashi.
It was the Japanese side who started the second half the brighter as Talsi Kobayashi played a defence splitting pass into Taito Harada but he was denied by solid defending from Moises Gonzalez.
Komazawa should be been level on fifty-six minutes when Kobayashi crossed for Kazumi Hoshina who fired over the crossbar from point blank range.
The game should have wrapped up as the Chilean side kitted out in Blue broke free with Williams Munoz he played the ball into Figueroa before he fired his effort wide of the target when he really should have done better.
However the game should have been level with time running out after a communication error between Pizarro and Bastian Riquelme saw the ball fall to the feet of Hoshina but he fired wide from close range.
Miyazaki was impressing in goal for the Japanese side and he had to be alert with ten minutes to go as Zuniga thumped an effort goal wards but the keeper sprung to his right to pluck the ball out of the air.
Komazawa then grabbed a well-deserved equaliser as O’Higgens failed to clear their lines the ball fell to Saito and he planted the ball low into the bottom corner leaving Pizarro with no chance of saving.
O’Higgens could have won it at the death however as Figueroa was played in by Riquelme but his low powerful shot was well saved by man of the match Miyazaki pushing the shot way from goal.
Credit: Joshua Bunting @Distillerymad